Ricky Starks, a prominent AEW talent, has been absent from AEW television since March of this year, leaving fans wondering about his future with the company. Recently, AEW made the decision to pull Starks from several planned appearances for Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), which has sparked additional questions about his current status and relationship with AEW.
According to a report from Fightful Select, Starks was initially required to seek permission from AEW before participating in his first GCW show. While he was originally scheduled to appear at additional GCW events, his involvement was later blocked due to the increasingly strained relationship between AEW and GCW. This move marks a significant shift in AEW’s approach to allowing its talent to work with certain independent promotions, particularly those like GCW, where there have been tensions in recent months.
Despite this setback, Fightful Select also clarified that Starks is not completely restricted from working the independent wrestling scene. He has been given permission by AEW to continue making appearances for various indie promotions—just not for GCW, which seems to be the source of the complications. This gives Starks some flexibility, though it remains to be seen how this will impact his overall career trajectory and future bookings.
Adding to the situation, it was also revealed that Starks did not receive approval from AEW to participate in a recent interview with popular wrestling journalist Chris Van Vliet. This further fuels speculation about potential issues between Starks and AEW management, as it highlights a more restrictive stance the company has taken on its talent’s media engagements outside of official company programming.
These developments continue to raise questions about Starks’ standing within AEW, especially as fans and industry insiders alike speculate on whether he may eventually seek opportunities elsewhere or if AEW will work to resolve the tensions and allow him more creative freedom. For now, Starks remains on the sidelines in terms of AEW programming, while his indie prospects are more limited due to the growing friction between AEW and GCW.
AEW needs to do something with this guy before he leaves.